I'm currently running a very battered old c180, and now that i'm in college a couple'o'days a week, and living over an hour away, the poor old w202 has been having to do ALOT of freeway miles!

The condition it's in, cosmetically at least, is pretty damn good. Restored paintwork, $70 on a Pioneer sound system and a cheap Chinese 'avantgarde' grille have brought the car into the 21st century! And comparing to examples that have sold in my area recently (w202's are VERY sought-after in WA) it should be worth around $10,000.

My issues, like i said, i do a lot of high-speed freeway driving, and it seems to me, the c180 is HORRENDOUSLY underpowered for the weight of the car. I try not and rev too much, but a crappy auto 'box often refuses to change gear when i want, causing me to get close to the redline and as a result, average under 20MPG or 13-14L/100KM. Which is crazy for a car with no power.

So, i was thinking of selling the W202 while its still worth something, and buying another car, with a larger engine to cope with my 'lead feet.'

And i stumbled upon a very, very cheap w140, with high mileage but a well looked after 3.2L v6. And i thought to myself, hmmm that looks tempting, but also looks just like an elongated '97 C180, which i already own...

[searches again]

Then i found a stunning 2003 w220, with low-ish milage, black rims and gleaming white paintwork, with all the interior comforts 2/3 hour daily trip would require.

Now this car was $16,000. Which was $6000 more than i wanted to spend, but if i were to find a mechanically-sound but COMPLETE BUCKET of a w220, be it with some cosmetic accident damage, and restore it as i did with my w202, with the total bill coming to just under $10,000.

Will this be a bad idea?

Will i be left with a car that does even worse gas-mileage than the one now, and $4 left in my bank account.

OR

Is it an amazing idea that will leave me with an excellent drivers car that will be a nice place to sit/live & also be able to beat a Hyndai Getz away from the lights ?

Wait. You found a Maybach in great condition for $16,000? That makes no sense at all.

************

The S class (and the E as well) are both excellent all-day highway cruisers. I have an E320 W210 and regularly see better than 30MPG at 60-65 mph, and 28 at 75.

The S class, however, has lots more electronics and feature/comfort systems and when they fail (not if) they are very expensive to repair. It's one reason I chose the E, it has less of that stuff. The better fuel economy is the another reason, and that I like the styling more and it's easier to park and cheaper to insure are still others.

Good luck and happy shopping.

Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy; its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery. (Winston Churchill)